Tools used for turning threaded fasteners, such as nuts and bolts, often utilize interchangeable parts to engage the fastener; thus, socket wrenches and nut drivers with replaceable sockets and adapters are widely available. It is often desirable to sell the sockets or other such parts individually, and it is therefore necessary that packaging be provided which will not only protect the part, but which will also securely hold it and permit its identification while presenting it to the customer in an attractive manner. Although it is important that the contained article be capable of convenient removal from the package by the customer, it is also desirable that there be substantial inhibition to removal in the store, so as to discourage pilferage at the point of sale. It is also important, for economic and other practical reasons, that the package be of relatively simple and inexpensive construction.
Exemplary of the means heretofore proposed for the storage and display of wrench sockets is the holder described in Greenlee U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,453. The patentee indicates that the arrangement described in FIGS. 1-5 permits examination by the prospective customer, while inhibiting pilferage because of the difficulty of removing the fastening device used to attach the socket to the display card. However, the holder of the Greenlee patent is not very attractive, and it would provide little or no protection to the article. Moreover, the securing of the socket depends upon the presence of a detent hole in the socket, and assembly would not appear to be very facile.
To the consumer, it is often important that means be available by which the tools used can be conveniently organized and neatly stored. Hence, manufacturers appreciate the desirability of providing a package that not only permits display in a desirable manner at the point of sale, but that is also capable of reuse by the consumer for storage purposes. To achieve that end, it is of course necessary that the packaging be suitably designed and that it not be damaged or destroyed in the course of initial removal of the article; it is also important that the article be readily mounted upon, and dismounted from, the holder.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel bracket for the mounting of a wrench socket or like article, which bracket is adapted for packaging of the article to protect it, while securely holding the article and presenting it to the consumer in an attractive manner.
It is also an object of the invention to provide such a bracket which will securely retain the packaged article and discourage pilferage, while nevertheless permitting facile removal by the customer.
Another object of the invention is to provide a novel bracket which serves not only as packaging for the article, but is also suited for its subsequent storage.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a bracket having the foregoing features and advantages, which is also relatively simple and is adapted for facile and inexpensive manufacture.